Flow nipple



V. YORK FLOW NIPPLE Peb. 15,1927. 1,617,614

Filed Aug. 18, 1924 VIV/7 .3/ 2. 45

' Patented Feb. 1s, 1927.

-,UN1TED STATESl ylaxrisla'r, `orricrz.

VICTOR YORK, F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

FLOW NIPPLE.

` Application flied August 1s, 1924. serial Nb. 732,843.

In thel production of petroleum oils, wells arek often brought in which flow due to the gas pressure in the oilsands. In the case ofthe larger Wells, if the well is allowed toflow freely it soon sands up due to the factthat the excessive speed at Whichthe oil and gas enter the Well tends to carry into able to 'restrain the flow of oil from the well which is ordinarily accomplished at lthe point Where theflow line of the Well leaves the casing head, the general practice beingw to insert a How nipple at this point.

These liow nipples are ordmarlly steel yplugs or nipples having a small hole therethrough. These' holes may bel from l inch to l inch in diameter and there may be a drop in pressure therethrough of several hundred pounds; To produce this large drop in pressure it is of course necessary to' have'a very high velocity in the oriiice of the fioW nozzle,

and these flow nozzles rapidly cutout in r ordinary use. 4

It is an object of my invention to provide a flow nozzle which will have av pluralityy of orifices, any'one of which can be quickly brought into service so that as 'one wears anotherwill beim'mediately' available Without shutting down 'the production of the well for a long period. It is sometimes desirable to quickly change the amount` of restraint yp'ut upon the Well and it is a further object of myinvention to provide a iow nipplev having a plurality of different sized orifices, any one of which may-be put inservice as desired. Y' i Further objects and advantages will be made'evident hereinafter. A

Referring to the drawings which are for illustrative purposes only',

' Fig. 1 is a view of a portion of an oil well equipped with my invention.-

Fig. 2 'is a section through a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig, 1 on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3\ is a section on a plane represented by the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

This sand and gravely Fig. 4 is a section on a plane represented 'Ihe invent1on as applied to a flowing vvell is shown in Fig. 1 in which 11 is the oil sti-mg throughV 'which the oil flows upwardly from the bottom of the Well.; The upper portion of this string is closed by a cap 12. Attached to the string 11v by means of a T 13 is a flow line having a. valve 14 therein. This valve vis connected by means of a close nipple .15 with an anterior. bushing 16. This bushing has an eccentric opening 17 thercin,'this opening terminating at 18 at' a pointto one side ofthe center of the bushing 16. Fitting against the posterior surface of the'bushing 16-"is a flow nipple 20,.

this nipple having a plurality ofv orifices 21, 2.2,v 23 and 24, therethrough. In-l the method oit'A assembly shown, the orifice`21.

registers with the opening 18.- An accurate registration 1s insured by means of'a dowel pin 25 fitting in holes 26. lFor the purpose l of holding the flow nipplje'20 solidly against the Aanterior bushing 16 I provide'a clamping sleeve which is threaded at 31 on the bushing'lG and'vvhich is provided With'an vinwardly projecting ange 32 whichl engages a flange 33 on the flow nipple 20.

vAll of the orifices 21, 22, 23 and 24 communicate with a common opening 41 in 'a posteriorI bushing 40. Thisv bushing isqheld against the posterior end of the flow nipple 20 by means of a-clamping collar 42 threaded' on--the flow nipple at43 and having an inwardly pr jecting fiange 44 engaging a flange 45 on the posterior bushing 40.'

This bushing- 40 is connected to delivery pipe'() by means of a reducing coupling 51.

With the 'parts assembled in the position Ashown, the oil from the Well flowing upwardly under a pressure: several hundred pounds per 'square' inchis delivered into the T 13 and through the opening 17 into the orifice 21. The flow nipple -20 maybe made of any desired length so that the'friction 'of the liquid flowing throughy the orifice 21 re'- sults ina veryv considerable drop in pressure therethrough. The pressure' at the.dis`

charge end of the orifice .is ordinarily only slightly above atmosphericv andthe pressure at the inlet end of the orifice maybe several hundred pounds per square inch. By holding the pressure on the well in this manner,` it is possible lto control the flow and prevent l.violent changes inthe yformation surrounding the well. 'It also-' ,prevents the vsanding i throats in accurate registry withsaid flowditions of the well or due to a wearin \a plurality of flow or up of the well. When it is desired to change the size of the orifice due to change in conout of tlie orifice .in service, it is possib e to uickly do tliis by loosening the clamping s eeves 30 and 42 and turning the flow nipple to `bring another one of its orifices 'into register with the .opening 18. .The

d owel insures an accurate register at all times, there being four of the holes 26 cor.-

responding to the four orifices in the flowk nipple.

If desired, more than four orifices may :be

placed in a single flow nipple.

When it is 'desired to change'the nipple, it 1s of course necessary to close the valve 14.

I claimA as in invention: 1. A device or controlling the iiow from a well comprising: an anterior bushin ada ted to be-secured to a 'flow line of sai wel and havin`g an eccentrically disposed flow opening-at its transverse posterior surface; a iiow nipple engaging said osterior surface of the bushin and provi edY with vof different rela tive diameters relativel spaced circularly and adapted to be placedyfin'concentric alignment to separately rlgister with said iiow opening, said iiow ori ces havin respective inlet throats, each gradually e arged 'rearwardl to a diameter not less than thatpf said ow openin so that said flow opening and the i'low ori ce selected for use will constitute a flow passage free from abrupt wall `surfaces facing the flow; and 'means for clam ing the` anterior bushing and the flow nipp e together with one of said fiow-oriiice opening, the anterior bushing and flow niphaving coengaging means positively insuring such registry and ,maintaining vsaid bushing and nipple against relative rotation o -durin atihtemng at g ly p enlarge said clamping means. device for controlling the iow from a well comprising: an anterior bushin adilipted to be secured to a ow lineof sai we and having a boreA gradually convergi osed flow openrior surface of at the transverse p vsaidy bushing' a flow nip le enga said posterior surface of the ushing an provided with a pluralit of ow orifices of diiferentrelative' iameters relatively spaced'circularll and' adaptedto be placed in `concentric a ignment to'separately register with said 'flow' opening, said -flow oriiices having respective inlet throats gradualless than that of said How o nin .so that the bore of said bushing an the ow nipple orifice selected for use will constitute 'a flow passage free from abru t wall surfaces facing the flow; andmeans or clamping the anterior bushing and the flow nipple togetherwith one of said orifice throats in accurate-registry with .,fsaid, flow opening, the

rearwardly to a diameter not.

anterior bushing and the iiow nipple having coengaging means positively insuring such registry and maintaining said bushing and` nipple against relative rotation during a tightening of said clamping means.

3. A device for controlling the flow from a Well, comprising: an yanterior bushing adapted to be secured to a flow line of said -We11, and having an eccentrically disposed orifices of diiferent relative diameters relatively spaced circularly and adapted to be placed in concentric alignment to separately register with the eccentrically disposed flowV opening of the anterior bushing, said flow lorificesliaving respective inlet throats, each gradually enlarged rearwardlyto a diameter equal to that of said eccentrically disposed How opening so that each of said throats when positioned for use will embrace the full flow from said flow opening, all of said iiow orifices communicating with'said 'posl terior bushing;4 means for clamping said posteriorbushing to said lowA nipple; and means for clampin said` anterior bushing and said flow nipp e togethery with one of said flow orifices in accurate registry with said flow opening, the anterior bushing and the How mpple having coengaging means positively insurin such registry and maintaining said bus ing and nipple -a ainst relative rotation during a tightening o said clampin means.

4. A ge ilow opening at'itsvtransverse posterior sur'- face; a flow nipple engaging said posterior surface of the bushin and provided with a iin plurality of flow ori ces of different relative diameters relatively spaced circularly and adapted' to be placed in concentric algnment to separately rigister with said ow opening, said flow ori ces having respective inlet throats, each gradually enlarged rearwardly to a diameter not less than that. of said iiow openin so that said How opening .and the iow ori ce selectedv for use will constitute a flow passage free from abrupt wall surfaces facing. the flow; and means for clamping the anterior bushing andthe iiow nipp eA throats in accurate registry with said flow opening, theanterior bushing and 'the flow nipple having cengaging means positively insuring such registry and maintaining said bushing and nipple against relative rotation durin a tightening of said clamping `-means, sai coengagingfmeans comprising a together with one of said flow orificelll 'dowel fixed to said anterior bushing and engaging into one of a plurality1 of relatively spaced recesses formed in said flow nipple.

5. A device for controlling the flow from a well, comprising: an anterior bushing ada ted to be secured to a flow line of said wel, and having an eccentrically disposedl flow opening at its transverse posterior surface; a tubular posterior bushing adapted to be secured to a delivery pipe of said well; a flow nipple arranged between adjacent faces of said anterior and posterior bushings and-provided with a plurality of flow orifices of diferent relative diameters relatively spacedcircularly and adapted to be placed in concentric alignment to separately register with the eccentrically disposed flow opening of the anterior bushing, said flow orifices having respective inlet throats, each gradually enlarged rearwardly to a diameter equal to that of said eccentrically disposed' flow Aopening so thatv each of said throatsv when positioned for use will embrace the full iowl from said How opening, all of said flow orifices communicating with said posterior bushing; means for clamping said posterior bushing to said flow nipple; and means for clamping said anterior'bushing and said flow nipple together with one of said ow orifices in accurate registry with said flow open` ing, the anterior bushing and the flow nipple having coengaging means positively insur' ing such registry and maintaining said bush-A 

